Hero and Monster- Macbeth Essay Example

The same qualities that make one a hero can also make one a monster. A perfect example of this is in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. In this play, Macbeth is a very ambitious man, however, by the end he is an absolute monster. In the beginning, Macbeth and his longtime companion, Banquo, come across three witches who give them a prophecy. The witches tell them that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and later the King of Scotland. Banquo that his sons will be Scottish kings although he will never be king himself. They are both very skeptical about this prophecy until Macbeth becomes Thane of Cawdor soon after. When Lady Macbeth learns everything that has happened, she has absolutely no doubt that the prophecy is valid. Over the course of the play, both of them do everything in their power to make the witches’ prediction come true. Although the ambition that Macbeth and his wife possess is an ideal heroic quality, it also contributes to their monstrous behaviors. The first horrific act they perform is killing Duncan in order to gain kingship. Once Duncan is dead, Macbeth goes after Banquo and his son Fleance in order to avoid the second part of the witches’ prophecy. Later on, Macbeth visits the witches again and they tell him to beware of Macduff. Macbeth then commands that Macduff’s castle be seized and that his wife and children be killed. In order to be a hero it is necessary to be an ambitious person, in spite of this, a monster can be ambitious as well. A hero must be determined to achieve the things they want that may help other people. A monster may also be determined to obtain something, but with a cruel or damaging approach. Macbeth and his wife turn out to be utter fiends as a result of their ambitious ways. They easily could have used their ambition to obtain the things they wanted in a positive manner, but instead they chose to use their ambition in negative ways. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth prove that a monster and a hero can have the same